


The Business of Emotion

by TheColemanCollectionoftheInaccurate (killajokejosie)



Series: Buying and Selling Tombstones, of all Things? [1]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Ash maybe not so much, F/M, Gary has matured, M/M, Minor Injuries, Misty is so unbelievably done with everyone, Misty of course, One-Sided Attraction, Pallet Town mentioned, Pokemon friendly everything, Still under 18, Thunder and Lightning, cemetery visits, duh - Freeform, literally how I feel most days, this will all make more sense when it isn't a bunch of tags, very minor Misty/Ash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-21
Updated: 2017-04-23
Packaged: 2018-10-22 00:42:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10686252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/killajokejosie/pseuds/TheColemanCollectionoftheInaccurate
Summary: The original three are back together again, for good this time, but maybe there might be room for one more. But mostly it is just Ash trying to figure out why he can't physically stop looking at Gary's butt.





	1. Heart and Soul

**Author's Note:**

> This is beyond ridiculous, but I am so excited to post it. Why? Because of a thirty minute conversation I had with a very important person in my life who has insisted on cosplaying Ash at every major event possible simply because he is a very slight emo kid(basically, not admittedly). Anyways, this is going to be goofy and insane, but I am very happy that it is finally real.

The rain was heavy during the early hours of the morning, leaving the ground soggy and abused from what had already been an incredibly wet couple of weeks. The pathways throughout the cemetery were soaked, puddles crossing over in the lower levels. 

Misty had arranged the entire day, wanting it to be perfect. The weather just happened to ruin everything, but Brock's food. 

The air was definitely leaning towards the humid side, thick and uncomfortable despite the temperature not being too high. And, since the sprinkles of rain had finally waned completely, it was only getting worse under the light of the sun. 

The three old friends sat on the bench by the shoreline. Their bikes were all leaning against the fence, glistening from the moisture. They had all missed this. This was wonderful and simple and exactly what they needed after all of their time apart. It felt so right. 

"The erosion of this shoreline is causing a lot of strange rock formations, just look at those slabs sticking out..." Brock trailed off, getting off of the bench to walk over to the one stone that was stealing all of his attention span. He got down on his knees to give it a closer look, running his hand along the smooth, white surface. "...unless..."

"What is it Brock?" Ash asked, completely ready for a subject change. All of the previous conversation had all been rather sappy reminiscing on Misty's part. He wanted to hear something, anything else.

"Are we seriously doing this right now? Really? The two of you are going to obsess over a rock? Geez...I would hate to see what would happen if that rock was a pokemon." Misty said, crossing her arms and investing every single fiber of her being into being sassy as hell.

"I think it might be part of a tombstone...maybe all of these white slabs are parts of old tombstones. There is light etching on this stone. This cemetery is pretty old. Makes you think."

"Speaking of pokemon, has anyone seen Pikachu?" Ash snapped out of the daze that was created by a freakishly thin attachment that Brock had to some random rock, noticing only then that his electrified mouse was nowhere to be found. 

"You...lost...Pikachu?!?" He received a combined scolding from Misty and Brock, as if he was still the foolish, boastful ten year old who had no control over that wonderful creature he adored so much. He was still foolish, but Pikachu he cared about Pikachu, and there was just no way that he actually lost Pikachu in the middle of a cemetery. Especially since he was literally just sitting on the ground next to Misty's feet right before Brock's rock affection spilled over into their simple reality.

Ash avoided balling his hands up into fists, not allowing the anger of being scolded by people who had no right to do so get to him. He took a deep breath. Today was supposed to be a good day. He wasn't going to ruin it by firing off before he had a moment to think about what his words might do.

He turned towards the pathway along the shore that eventually lead to a beach made of sand and not white slabs of stone and cement. There wasn't very many people out considering that it was a holiday, but those that were had plenty of strange ghost types at their sides. He would be lying if he wasn't a little worried by Pika's absence, if only for the sheer fact that trainers in this region were unpredictable. Well, that, and a little bit because of how long it had been since he had seen Jessie or James and he could never be one hundred percent certain that they were not going to pop up wherever he was. 

"I...I...have to go find him!" Ash shouted before his feet hit the asphalt trail as fast as he was able to. He ran. He ran like hell with no intentions of stopping until he found his yellow best friend. 

Misty leaned her head against Brock's shoulder. "This is not going to end well,"

"You can say that again, but, still, we should probably follow him," 

"Ugh, you're right, let's not let him get too far ahead, wouldn't want him to get into any trouble and us not be there to back him up,"

"The people are a bit strange here, aren't they?"

Misty chuckled. "Maybe it is because they built a hill on top of old tombstones?"

***

Ash was never usually winded as quickly as he was today. The combination of the uphill running and the awful humidity were doing him no favors. He hated being out of breath. He was too worried to be out of breath. He had to keep going. 

A few droplets of water fell from the leaves of one of the large trees, hitting him in the eyes, making him squint. All around the situation was setting him up for something stupid and he knew it the second that he shut his eyes in attempt to blink away some of the extra moisture. Everything suddenly felt like a set up, as if it was actually possible that his life was throwing in random plot devices to get him to another spot. 

If all else failed, he could blame it on the strange aura of the Lake Hill Cemetery.

Then it happened. Not because he shut his eyes for a few extra seconds, not because he was out of breath, but because Misty called his name and got him to look back in her direction, effectively providing a reason for him to take his eyes off the path and instead run into the fence near the park and fall over it headfirst. That was the kind of life he was living. Try as he might to have good balance, he just could not avoid getting into situations that caused him bodily harm in the most clumsy way possible.

Before he made any effort to lift himself back off of the ground, he ran his bare fingers over the stone beside him. As bad luck would have it, he landed in a very old, marked off section of graves, most of which were rather broken up like those at the site of all the erosion based damage. He turned his head to see a nice pair of shoes only a few feet away from him, accompanied by some deep purple skinny jeans and a very recognizable laugh. The owner of all of these familiar things offered him a hand, forcing him to look up at the wicked smile. 

"I never get tired of watching you perform those amazing stunts," He said as he assisted Ash back onto his feet, allowing him a moment to get his equilibrium back into shape. 

"Thanks...Gary..." Ash half mumbled, brushing the driest of the mud off of his clothes. Spring was not a friend to his fabrics.

It took him a minute to notice the obnoxious little yellow creature on Gary's shoulder because of all the questions that were spinning through his head in attempt to make sense of Gary being at the same location he was. People who do research typically spend more time in labs then in wet cemeteries in obscure towns. And, now that it was obvious that Pikachu was staring at him he really wanted to understand how that little exchange must have happened. Although, for some reason, Pikachu did kind of like Gary, which was probably because they were both stubborn as hell.

"Pikachu, why did you run away?" Ash asked, glaring right at his pokemon.

"Pika..."

"He ran away from you?" Gary in turn asked Ash, head cocked to the side in this most interestingly adorable way. Not that Ash thought Gary was adorable or anything like that.

"No," Ash shook his head. "I got up to look at something and when I turned around he wasn't there. He didn't actually run away from me, he just ran."

"Maybe he came to find me?" Gary said with a smile that could make anyone want to hit and kiss him at the same time. He handed Pikachu back to Ash, who immediately cradled him in his arms.

"What are you doing here, Gary?" Brock asked with his eyebrows raised after he and Misty finally caught up to the friends-turned-rivals-turned-friends. 

"I could ask the same of the three of you, you are all a little far from...well, just about everything." Gary shot back with his hands on his hips.

Misty rolled her eyes. She was not amused. "We just wanted to spend a little bit of time together, catch up, it has been a while,"

"And you didn't invite me?" Gary asked in the most over dramatic voice he could create.

"Seriously? Are you being serious?" Misty groaned.

"Not unless you want me to be serious. I do have things to do, like find the groundskeeper and get him to unlock the McEernson mausoleum door so that I can get the pokeball that may or may not exist so that I can send it back to Pallet Town in hopes that my slightly more than a little bit crazy grandfather can attempt to unleash what he believes to be the last of some water-ghost type that hasn't been seen for years." Gary explained, ruffling his scruffy, dark brown hair. The same hair that Ash was not paying extra attention to for any particular reason.

"Are you working for Professor Oak now?" Brock piped in, just in time to save Ash from being awkward and staring at Gary for any longer.

Gary shook his head. "Not on any full time basis, but family is family and when he wants something done, I will do my best to fulfil his wishes."

"Would you like some help? We would all be willing to help you find the groundskeeper and get inside the tomb." Ash jumped at the opportunity to help, well, just about anyone, but Gary was not just anyone. Gary was also too unbelievably cute. 

"Really? You all would help me? I would appreciate that so much. I don't feel like I can cover as much ground as all four of us could. This is a big cemetery. I've checked both buildings twice." 

"Yeah! Of course! It would be no problem at all."

***

"I don't remember agreeing to go searching for some groundskeeper for a weird cemetery..." Misty muttered under her breath as they began to walk forward behind Ash who was a few steps behind Gary. She definitely wasn't quiet enough, however, because Brock nudged her in the arm the moment the words came out of her mouth.

Brock forced Misty to fall further behind Gary and Ash after some observation. He leaned in towards the pale redhead to whisper. "Ash was really eager to spend time with Gary...you don't think...he..."

Misty cut him off. "No. No, I do not think that he has that kind of interest in Gary. They are friends. Just like we are friends. It is plain and simple."

"How can you be so sure? He hasn't had a real girlfriend. Plenty of chicks have thrown themselves at him, only for him to basically flat out ignore them. Maybe the reason is..."

The feisty young woman cut him off for a second time. "No. He does not like guys. He does not like Gary. He would have told us. He would have at least told me." 

"You seem to be getting pretty heated up over this, do you like Ash?" Brock asked as a joke, not realizing that there was some truth in his words. 

Misty shut down completely. She crossed her arms and distanced herself a couple of feet away from her friends. Today was only getting worse by the second.

"Maybe we should split up? Gary and I can cover one side of the cemetery, while you and Misty cover the other?" Ash suggested, almost tripping over a watch because of how distracting Gary's ass was in those perfectly fitting jeans. Because, he was definitely looking at Gary that way, because he had always looked at Gary that way. 

There was really no point in denying it. He had known that he liked guys for a while and he was really surprised that no one else had picked up on it. He wasn't hiding it from anyone, except maybe his mother because she had her own issues with Professor Oak. He would have gladly said something if the time came to spill the beans on the subject. For him, it was just a part of him. It was a part of what made him Ash Ketchum. It didn't bother him, because it was not going to change the way he looked at the world. 

Ash has an incredibly inappropriate, but completely feasible super gay crush on his childhood friend and neighbor, Gary Oak. Now, if only he could manage to stop looking at his butt. He ridiculously perfect ass.

"I think we would cover more ground if it was Brock and Gary in one pair and you and I in the other," Misty replied, grasping at a last ditch effort for some alone time. Even if Ash was playing for the other team, she was going to be his first, either his first girlfriend or the first person he came out to and she didn't care which honor she managed to snag. 

"Pika. Pika. Pika?" 

"We should let Pikachu decide on the teams, then it would be fair," Gary said, proving to somehow be the epicenter of reasonable ideas. It was about time. They needed someone like that in their group.

Ash asked Pikachu to do exactly that. And, he did, picking the original teams that Ash had suggested. There was a bias, but they agreed that they would switch partners half way through so that each skill set would have a chance to see the majority of the entire grounds. At least everyone agreed that they were going to find the groundskeeper much, much faster. 

***

"Hey, can I ask you a question?" Gary broke the strange silence that had fallen over them as they trudged through the moistened grass in the older part of the grounds where most of the monument sized stones were placed.

"Uh...sure...yeah, ask away?" Ash stuttered.

Gary stopped, leaning against one of the taller tombstones. "Are you and Misty a thing?"

Ash shook his head. "Nope, why?"

"Because if she is single, I figured that I would take a shot at her, she is fine,"

"Oh,"

"But I won't if you are interested in her,"

"I'm not...interested...in her..."

Gary arched an eyebrow at his old friend. He was curious. "But you are interested in someone?"

Ash rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, yeah, I am,"

"Well, who is she?"


	2. Bought and Sold

"Ha...ha...well, maybe it is best if I don't share their name..." Ash mumbled, removing his hat from his head, running his fingers through his hair. He was pretty sure that he didn't have a legitimate reason to be nervous or acting completely stupid in front of Gary. It was not as if he was in any position to start dating, and there was no way in hell that Gary was going to have the same feelings that he had felt for so damn long. 

"Their name? Ooh, you are really trying to put me in a hard position here. You don't want me to know that badly? Geez. I don't rate very highly on your list, do I? Did we not grow up in houses that were next door to each other? Did I imagine all of that?" Gary asked, beginning to walk down in between some of the older graves, not making eye contact with Ash while he scuffed his feet against the flat markers whenever he passed one. 

"Fuck..." Ash was staring at Gary's perfect ass in those jeans that hugged him in all the right places. "...dammit,"

Gary turned around, hands behind his head, somehow confident enough to walk backwards despite the many different obstacles that could have done him in if he wasn't careful. "What is your problem, Ashy-boy? You're a mess, more than usual."

"Honestly, it is this whole situation. It is Misty and Brock acting like we haven't been apart at all, it is Pikachu taking off like he used to do in the old days, it is you being here looking the way that you do."

The taller boy cocked his head to the side. "You wanna run that last part by me again?"

"I think you heard me. I don't like to repeat myself."

"Yeah, okay, aren't you cute? You repeat yourself more than Team Rocket." 

"Whatever," Ash gave up. He put his hat back on and began walking in another direction, anything to get away from Gary. It was a terrible idea to not listen to Misty. He did not need to be this close to Gary for any prolonged amount of time. It was already five minutes past way too long. He was in way too deep. He felt like he might be on the verge of going insane.

"Hey!" Gary shouted, running after his friend. "Hey! Wait! You are supposed to be helping me find the groundskeeper. How are you going to do that if we split up!? Stop!"

Ash rolled his eyes. He was pretty sure that he knew where the groundskeeper was. He had been pretty sure that it was going to be a quick encounter. Although, there was still a good chance that the groundskeeper would be irritated by them and force them to break into the mausoleum instead. 

Pikachu was actually a very capable lockpick when it suited him. A talent that Ash was never going to take for granted. He was pretty sure that it might have even been quicker to just skip this groundskeeper nonsense for it. That might have actually been where he was headed, if he had the guts to turn around and walk towards Gary.

Gary's body reacted to gravity as he ran down the hill right into Ash who had stopped in his own path to avoid tripping over and potentially damaging a small stone angel. The collision was worse than the one that Ash had with the ground earlier. Gary was an incredibly solid human being and there was no way that Ash was getting out of this without bruises, especially considering the fact that he bashed his knee on one of the flat markers. 

"Look what you did!? I've now knocked over an angel and landed onto super hard stone. Why are you always so horrible? Always! From the moment that we found that stupid..."

Gary shut Ash up by kissing him hard on the lips. Ash's eyes grew large and it took him a few seconds to actually realize what was happening. He grabbed Gary's shoulders and pushed him away, a strange combination of being ridiculously pleased and completely confused driving his actions. 

Gary's dark blue-green eyes were glued to Ash. There was actual feeling behind them. 

"Pika..." Pikachu walked over to the pair with the tiny stone angel that had been displaced by Ash and Gary's fall. "...Pika...Pi,"

Ash took the angel and put it roughly where it previously stood. He looked back at Gary, who still had the same expression on his face as when he was pushed away, and smiled. "I hate you,"

"Haha...I don't think that is what you meant to say, at least, not with a smile like that on your face." Gary chuckled, reaching a hand out to caress Ash's cheek. "What I don't know, is how come you waited all this time to tell me how you felt."

"This can't be happening," Ash grumbled, smacking his forehead. 

"It is happening, Ash. It is happening. My heartbeat is fast and my palms are kinda sweaty, and all I can think about is kissing you again, because the next time I am going to do it right." 

Ash grabbed the collar of Gary's shirt, pulling him close. "Allow me,"

Their lips met in a lusty mess that quickly gave way to passion and tongues and teeth. Gary had his hands up Ash's shirt, Ash had his arms around Gary's neck, and it was perfect. It didn't matter that they were still lying on top of the dead. The only thing that mattered was that it was the two of them together, despite all of the odds. 

Ash's mother was going to freak out.

Professor Oak was going to be overly excited and loud. Even if it bothered him, he wasn't going to show it, not even in the slightest. 

Ash pushed Gary away, needed a moment to breathe. "If you're gay, why were you asking about Misty?"

"I'm not gay, you're gay, and if anyone asks, that is what I am going to tell them. The reality is just that I am definitely going to want the prize over the bitchy chick who doesn't really want me around anyways. Ash, you are so damn gorgeous, I want you and knowing that you actually want me too, it is so amazing." 

Ash opened his mouth to speak, but Gary placed a finger over his lips to keep him from making a sound. There were footsteps approaching. 

Right that instant Misty half stumbled in between two overgrown hedges that sloped down to where Ash and Gary were sitting in the grass. Brock had done the smart thing and walked around the hedges on the pathway, but stubborn Misty couldn't be bothered to listen to his ideas in her headstrong moments. Plus, she was still angry with Ash for something that he didn't even do. 

"Why the hell are you two on the ground?" Brock asked, taking a swig from his water bottle. "I don't think that you are going to find the groundskeeper that way."

Gary looked up with a wicked grin on his face. "You are more than welcome to join us if you'd like?"

"Besides, it isn't a weekday, the odds of us actually finding someone who can unlock the mausoleum are now very low. We ought to just break in really quick." Ash suggested, checking his phone for any notifications.

"There are locks on the doors for a reason, they do not just want anyone going in there, we cannot break in, what if someone calls the cops?" Misty rambled on. 

Gary quickly rose to his feet, standing right in front of Misty. "You're right, they are trying to keep people out for a reason,"

"Exactly. Thank you. Now, maybe some of your good sense can rub off on Ash since the two of you are obviously so close." Misty said with her hands on her hips and a very prominent 'hm' at the end of her words.

"Here's the thing, though, and you probably are not going to like this part...um...we are going to break into the tomb. I have to get that ball." 

"WHAT!?"

He didn't give her another chance to run. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder, heading back in the direction of the mausoleum. Misty kicked and punched to get loose, but it was no use. He kept walking, laughing the whole entire way with Ash and Brock just a few feet behind him. 

Ash was staring at Gary's ass again. Misty was too defeated to make an effort to notice, but this time, Brock definitely did. 

***

Pikachu had the locks off in no time, of which there were three for some reason. 

Gary pulled the door open carefully while Ash shined the light from his phone inside. Gary slipped past the threshold and went in to hopefully retrieve the ball his grandfather wanted. 

He returned a moment later with a strange looking, dusty pokeball in his hands. This was it. He opened the ball to release the poor pokemon that was allegedly trapped in there. 

When it revealed itself, everyone smothered a laugh. All of the stress and nonsense was over a psyduck. It was shiny, but it was still just a psyduck. 

Gary shrugged. "And here we thought it was going to be a ghost,"

"It is blue, so perhaps, back then, they thought it was a ghost-duck?" Ash chuckled.

"I'm really glad that I love my family right now..."

"It is kind of cute. You should really call it back to its ball, though, so that no one sees you with your super rare shiny over here." Misty sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Speaking of things that are 'cute' and that 'no one else sees', Ash, Misty and I want to know if you are looking..."

Gary cut Brock off, since apparently that was a thing that he enjoyed doing. "At my ass? Yes, he was. We were actually making out before the two of you showed up. Today was a good day. Thank you for setting all of this up, Misty."

Misty threw her hands up in the air. She was done. And, now she was walking back to her bike. 

"Oh my god that was so not how I wanted that to go,"

"Eh, fuck it, I'll talk her down. It will be okay." Brock said before running after her. 

Officer Jenny, one of the many, pulled up behind Gary and Ash who were oh-so-close to holding hands and having everything patched up. 

"What are you two doing out here?!"

Gary decided to make a move, intertwining his fingers with Ash's. "Buying and selling tombstones, new business, very profitable, we are looking for some inspiration for our own plots, of course,"

"Buying and selling tombstones, of all things? Are you sure that is what you are doing?" The officer asked.

"Yup, and I'm a pokemon researcher, my friend here is a trainer, there is literally no reason that you should suspect that we are doing anything other than what I have told you,"

"Okay, well, you two have a nice day!" She shouted, driving forward.

Ash smacked his forehead. "Alright, now what?"

Gary kissed him on the cheek. "Let's go get your dumb friends and then we can call my grandfather,"

"Ah,"

"Pika..."

"Then I'll take you on a date, I think you're worth it." Gary winked, gesturing for them to walk onwards. 

This was just the beginning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is just part one, ya'll. And, it is supposed to be campy and ridiculous, have you watched the show? Anyways, I take things too far, but it is going to get better.--not really

**Author's Note:**

> In the second chapter we will see the thrilling conclusion to this otherwise campy, fluffy cemetery romp.


End file.
